Here in Texas, barbecue is very popular. Each part of the US where barbecue is popular has its own specialty. In Memphis, St. Louis, and Kansas City, pork spareribs are the popular item, but each area has its own unique style for preparing, cooking, and dressing the meat. In the Carolinas, it’s pulled pork, usually a Boston butt that has been barbecued, sometimes with vinegar and chili pepper (Eastern Carolina Style). Here in Texas, the most popular barbecued meat is beef brisket, but pork ribs are also popular. However, nothing compares to Chinese Barbecued Pork (or Chinese Roast Pork).
I have been learning about Chinese cuisine and cooking techniques from working with Jing. Lately, she’s been really busy with her Chef’s licensing exams at school, so I took the opportunity to do some research on Chinese Barbecued Pork. I found several variations, and I’ve tried recipes from several sources. In the end, being a foodie, I came up with a combination of seasoning and sauces that borrows a little from each. I added a twist: I used my Weber grill to do a true barbecue, whereas most of the Chinese Roast Pork recipes I have seen use an oven broiler.
Three ways to cook Chinese barbecued pork
For this recipe, I’ve included all three cooking methods. You can choose the method that works best for you.
Texas is hot in the summer: This summer, we experienced temperatures over 106 degrees F (41 C) for over two months straight. So, when I cook in my kitchen, I prefer to use my toaster-broiler to roast the pork. The results are comparable to the large oven, with much less heat. Since I cook in small batches, this method works just fine.
However, I prefer the taste of real barbecue, with the smoke from the coals flavoring the meat.
Barbecuing with a charcoal grill
Barbecuing is a low temperature, indirect cooking process, slowly cooking the meat. This cooking method originated in the Caribbean, to tenderize tough cuts of meat (ribs, brisket, etc.). When chattel slavery was imported to the Carolinas from Barbados, this cooking method came to US shores, and was used by slaves to cook the tough, less-desirable portions of meat allotted to them.
Grilling, by contrast, uses very hot, direct heat to sear the surface of meat. For example, when grilling a thick steak, you get the coals good and hot and place the steak directly over the coals, searing first one side, then the other. This locks the juices inside the steak, keeping it tender. However, if you grill Chinese barbecued pork loin directly over hot coals, you will end up with charred lumps.
A Weber grill has a kettle shape, with a domed lid. This allows banking the coals to one side, and placing the meat away from the heat. The lid makes the grill function like a convection oven.
For this recipe, I cut the pork loin rather thin: about 3/8 inch (10 mm). This allows the pork to roast on the outside and cook through quickly, without drying out. So, unlike ribs or brisket, which take hours, the Chinese barbecued pork takes only 7 to 10 minutes on each side. I also pour a little of the marinade on each slice to keep the meat from drying out.
If you can’t stand the heat…
Do not fill the grill with hot coals. I use a chimney starter, and for cooking this pork I used only about 1/3 of the capacity of the chimney starter. A simple temperature test for barbecue is to hold your hand above the grill an inch or so, after the coals have turned white. DO NOT TOUCH THE GRILL WITH YOUR HAND AND DO NOT HOLD YOUR HAND OVER OPEN FLAME. You should be able to hold your hand there for about five seconds if the heat is right. If you can stand the heat for longer, add a few more briquets. If the heat is too intense, let the coals burn down some before commencing cooking.
Sourcing ingredients for Chinese barbecued pork
Living in rural Texas, I’m a long way from an Asian market. I find quality ingredients online. You can click the links on each ingredient in the recipe to read more about them. For convenience, I’ve also listed the sources here. These ingredients really make the distinctive flavor.
The Mala Market:
- Zhongba light and dark soy sauce
- Five-spice powder
- Shaoxing wine
Amazon Marketplace:
- Koon Chun ground bean sauce
- Lee Kum Kee Select Hoisin sauce (gluten free: Wok Mei Hoisin Sauce)
NOTE: My Chinese Home Kitchen does not receive any sponsorship or compensation for recommending products, nor do we participate in affiliate marketing. These recommendations are based on personal experience with the quality of the ingredients and getting best results.
Chinese Barbecued Pork
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 charcoal barbecue (or countertop toaster-broiler oven)
- 1 digital cooking thermometer (optional, but recommended)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pork tenderloin trimmed and sliced (substitute pork butt)
Marinade:
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ½ tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
- 1 tbsp orange or pineapple juice
- 1 tbsp ground bean paste
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1½ tsps brown sugar
- 1½ tsps honey (optional, substitute 1½ tsps brown sugar)
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
Instructions
Preparation
- Peel and mince the garlic.
- Trim away any fat on the pork and rinse the pork. Slice the pork along the grain, about ⅜ inch (9-10 mm) thick.
Mix the marinade:
- Add the garlic and dry ingredients to the mixing bowl.1 clove garlic, 1½ tsps brown sugar, ¼ tsp five-spice powder
- Add the ground bean paste.1 tbsp ground bean paste
- Add the hoisin sauce.1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- Add the honey. (See note about honey glazing below.)1½ tsps honey
- Add the liquid ingredients and stir thoroughly to combine, until the dry ingredients are dissolved.1½ tbsp light soy sauce , 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, ½ tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine , 1 tbsp orange or pineapple juice
- Add the pork to the marinade and stir thoroughly to coat. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight to marinade.1 lb pork tenderloin
Barbecue method:
- NOTE: These steps use a kettle-style grill with domed lid to create a convection oven affect, or indirect cooking technique. (See notes below.) If you do not have a grill that allows you to bank the coals to one side and place the meat away from the heat, use the toaster-broiler or traditional oven methods.
- Prepare your grill by cleaning the surface. Use charcoal briquettes for even and consistent heating. The amount of coals depends on the size of your grill, but for a typical Weber grill like the one shown, I use about ⅓ of the volume of a chimney starter. When the coals are ignited, pour them into a bank on one side of the grill.
- Place the sliced pork on the grill, away from the coals. Pour a small amount of marinade onto each slice.
- Place the domed lid over the grill, and set a timer for 7 minutes.
- When most of the marinade is dried from the top, turn the pork slices. Replace the lid and set your timer for 7 minutes.
- Check the temperature by inserting a thermometer into the meat longitudinally. That is, do not push the temperature probe through the meat and into the heating area. If the temperature has reached 160°F (71°C), remove the slice. Check each slice. If any are still below desired temperature, leave them on the grill for a minute or two longer and check again.
- Place the barbecued pork on a clean plate, and let the meat rest for about five minutes.
Toaster-broiler oven method:
- Line the broiler tray with aluminum foil.
- Place the meat slices on the tray, pour a small amount of marinade on each, and place the tray in the toaster oven. Set the controls for broil, and the time for 15 minutes. If it's not yet ready to turn, put it back in for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Check the meat to see if it's ready to turn. It should be slightly darkened, just beginning to char, on the top side. Note the difference between the slices in this picture: the slice to the rear is done on the top side, and the piece in the front has already been turned. Place the tray back in the toaster oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- When the meat is cooked to satisfaction, remove the tray from the oven and allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes.
Oven broiler method:
- Remove the top oven rack: we'll use this to hang the slices. Place the other oven rack on the second or third level (allowing enough room for the pork slices to hang).
- Hang the pork slices from the oven rack, and brush with the marinade. Note: you can twist metal paper clips into hooks for this purpose.
- Add about ¼ inch (7 mm) of water to a roasting pan, and place it on the lower oven rack.
- When the broiler is heated, place the rack with the hanging pork slices into the top position.
- Check the pork after 2 to 3 minutes, when it is beginning to char, check the temperature of the meat. When it reaches 160°F (71℃), remove the rack, and set the pork slices on a plate to rest for 5 minutes.
Finishing
- Serve the slices, or, if you are going to use the pork for fried rice, dice it into cubes.
Notes
Barbecuing
- Barbecuing is not grilling. Grilling uses intense direct heat to sear the surface of the meat, and is best used with beef steaks and similar cuts of meat to preserve the juices inside. Barbecuing uses low, indirect heat at or below 200°F (93°C) to slowly cook the meat.
- The sliced pork will not take long to barbecue, about 15 to 20 minutes, because it is lean tenderloin and thinly sliced. Tough cuts of meat, such as ribs and brisket, take much longer for the heat to break down the tough fibers and make them tender. When barbecuing tough cuts, a moisturizing basting (or “mop”) is used to keep the meat from drying out. When barbecuing the thin pieces of tenderloin, pour a small amount of marinade on top of each piece.
- Be sure to bank the coals to one side, and use a small amount of coals. You should be able to hold your hand about 1 inch above the grill over the coals for about five seconds. (Do not touch the metal grill.) If the heat is too hot, let the coals burn down a bit before adding the meat.
- Leave the domed lid in place, except when checking the meat. If the temperature is correct, you can turn the pork slices after 7 to 10 minutes.
- You may need to move the meat on the grill surface for even heating.
- Carefully check the internal temperature. The meat should be heated to about 160°F (71°C) at the center.
Honey glazing option
- Some variants of roast or barbecue pork use the honey to coat both sides of the meat before placing in the broiler or on the barbecue. This creates a nice, sweet crust on the meat, similar to glazing ham with brown sugar.
Nutrition
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